Bearpaw Ranch

LOCATION

Located in southern Routt County, Colorado, about 15 minutes outside the town of Yampa, is where you will find privacy and seclusion of Bearpaw Ranch. Access to the Ranch is via Routt County Road 3 located off of State Highway 131 and the regional towns of Steamboat (Highway 40) and Vail Valley (Interstate 70). Bearpaw Ranch is conveniently located about an hour drive from the regional Airports of Eagle County (EGE) and Yampa Valley (HDN), serviced by national air carriers.

ACREAGE AND DESCRIPTION

The 107 acres is covered in various pine trees and aspen groves. The topography varies, with the house sitting at the top of the ranch at an elevation of 9500’ with grades gently falling to the north and quickly dropping down to the South towards Smith Creek. There is a seasonal creek running across the northern edge of the property. The National Forest is about 100’ to the west of the property’s western border, easily accessed across the Ranch Owners’ common parcel.  Two sets of mountains rise-up to the west, with Flat Top and Dome Mountains comprising the southerly of the two and the Flat Tops Mountains to the northwest, making for spectacular views on the approach to the ranch.

OPERATIONS

Bearpaw Ranch is a recreational ranch, offering numerous opportunities that cater to any lifestyle in any season. The ranch is centrally located between two of Colorado’s most iconic ski towns, Vail and Steamboat. In the summer, enjoy horseback, ATV, 4x4, or mountain bike adventures from the ranch to trails connecting you to over a million acres of forest lands. The nearby alpine reservoirs and rivers offer fantastic fishing, with float trips on the Colorado River merely 45 minutes from the ranch. Winter adventures are also possible, with access to the ranch available via snow machine or a ride in the Ranches at Five Pines Mesa tracked-vehicle.

Bearpaw Ranch has the fortune of being one of only 10 exclusive parcels comprising the Ranches at Five Pines Mesa. You can rest easier knowing the burden of owning a mountain ranch is lightened, through a full-time caretaker/manager to assist with home monitoring and maintenance, road maintenance, fence repair, downed tree removal, ranch activities, and winter access. Additionally, your ownership provides access to a cabin that serves as overflow for owners and their guests.

The Ranch benefits from Ag status, which helps to lower the tax liability. Each year, the owners sign a grazing lease with a local rancher who grazes cattle across the ranch in the late summer, helping effectively manage the vegetation and also helping to reduce fire risk.

WILDLIFE AND RECREATION

Wildlife can be found in the area throughout the year. As the seasons change, so do the opportunities to spot the various species residing in the area. This area is home to Colorado’s largest elk herd, so come fall, sit out on the deck and listen and watch for the bugling elk as the herds begin to transition from their summer to winter grounds. Additionally, the ranch offers opportunities to spot deer, black bear and moose in addition to numerous smaller game species that reside here.

Offering numerous recreational opportunities that cater to any lifestyle in any season, the ranch is centrally located between two of Colorado’s most iconic ski towns, Vail and Steamboat, arguably some of the State’s best skiing opportunities. In the summer, enjoy horseback, ATV, 4x4, or mountain bike adventures from the ranch to trails connecting you to over a million acres of forest lands. The nearby alpine reservoirs and rivers offer fantastic fishing, with float trips on the Colorado River merely 45 minutes from the ranch.

Hunting on the Ranch is limited to archery only and archery elk tags are available over the counter. Deer tags are available only through the CPW draw system.  Rifle tags may be utilized within the National Forest areas, with the ranch serving as “the luxury” base camp.

IMPROVEMENTS

The heart of the Ranch is the stunning Montana Style Log Home, with 2,876 square feet of finished space that includes three bedrooms, three baths and detached garage connected to the home by a beautiful breezeway. For the location of the home, the builders took advantage of the topography, by placing the home on the highest ridge, creating vast view corridors looking down into the Smith Creek Valley and across to the Greenridge Mountains to the east.  The interior finishes are just as spectacular as the views outside, featuring a massive stone-faced wood burning fireplace that climbs up to the cathedral ceiling, a cozy kitchen adjourned with beautiful Italian tile and large dining area wrapped in windows, inviting the outdoors in and serving as a natural entertainment for you and your guests. After dinner, retreat to the oversized deck on the back of the home, encased by an aspen tree grove, to gaze upon the Dark Sky and the thousand of stars visible. When its time to come inside, retreat to the master bedroom, crack the windows and listen for the sounds of the quaking aspens or a hoot of an owl to put you to sleep as deer, elk, and an occasional moose walk by your windows in the moonlight. Two other cozy bedrooms await your family and guests that include a stylish loft. A warm mountain theme is displayed in all three beautifully appointed bathrooms located throughout the home (one bathroom does have signature fixtures from Paris!!).    

Additional improvements include a very nice horse barn which includes four separate stalls and corrals as well as a large enclosed tack room, an outside heated wash rack, and two adjacent large pastures encased with buck and rail fencing. A large Barnmaster metal barn (roughly 50’x50’) offers storage for all your recreational toys including ATVS, an RV, snowmobiles, or horse trailers.

Amenities shared with the other eight owners of the exclusive Ranches of Five Pines Mesa include a fulltime ranch caretaker for house and exterior maintenance help, forest and fencing needs, and providing services to access your property in the wintertime. Use of the owner’s cabin and barn facility is also included.   

View 3D virtual tour link here

HISTORY

The Ranches at Five Pines Mesa were assembled and constructed in the late 1990s.  The home at Bearpaw was constructed in 2000 and is currently owned by its second owner. Ranching operations make up a vast majority of the history across this region, which saw expansion in the early 1900’s with the arrival of the railroad from Walcott to Steamboat.  Early settlers grew potatoes, lettuce and other produce before becoming no longer economically viable. Today cattle ranches still make-up the majority of the landscape with grazing taking place in the later spring to late fall before moving to lower elevations in the winter.

TAXES: $4,248 (2020)

SUMMARY

Dreaming of your very own cabin in the woods? Bearpaw Ranch offers the opportunity to make living that dream easy through a private, well-planned and affordable turn-key solution. You will never get tired of the scenery upon your arrival to this picturesque 107-acre high alpine ranch, as you meander through a mix of meadows, aspen groves, and various pine trees until turning into the drive and pulling up to the idyllic Montana Log Home carved into the woods. Recreational opportunities are bountiful, varying as the seasons change.  Burden of ownership is simplified with a full-time ranch manager on-site helping with maintenance and security, making it easier to show up, relax and enjoy your own “cabin in the woods.” Make the appointment today to come see this rare offering, sitting next to National Forest and offering a one-of-a-kind mountain lifestyle.